Augustana's Eide/Dalrymple Gallery will present "The Beautiful Symmetry of Bones: An Osseous Extravaganza," a new exhibit exploring the sculptural artistry hidden under our skin, March 27-April 21.

A gallery reception is set for 7-9 p.m. on Friday, March 31.

The exhibit and the reception are free and open to the public.

"Bones literally represent our support system," said Dr. Adrien Hannus, professor of anthropology and director of Augustana's Archaeology Laboratory. "They are really amazing in terms of of structure and how they've evolved over the years is quite fascinating. This display focuses the viewer’s attention on an aspect of vertebrate anatomy usually not considered."

"Many artists are inspired by bones. This exhibit shows the totally melded together aspects of the sciences and the liberal arts."

The show will feature skulls of both modern and extinct creatures, a reconstruction of a prehistoric "Mammoth Bone Hut" based on archaeological excavations in Russia, and bison bone mobiles created by students in Augustana's "Museum Methods" class. Students in this class had the unique opportunity to assist in constructing this exhibit, which Hannus says is "not typical for a museum studies major at an undergraduate level."

The "Mammoth Bone Hut" came in a box with no instructions and Hannus said "it took eight or nine people several hours to put together."